Football Rocks! Part 3

Football Rocks! Part 3

The NFL ends each football season with the most viewed music show of the year during halftime of the Super Bowl. Now, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is kicking off the football season with the Concert for Legends featuring music superstar Tim McGraw. ProFootballHOF.com is taking a look at the history of music and its relationship with the NFL in this special “Football Rocks” series.

The last couple articles in the series talked about artists performing on the gridiron, but if you take your eyes off the stars on the field, you can’t help notice the stars in the stands. Famous NFL fans are everywhere. Artists and performers of all varieties love the NFL and proudly show their allegiances with team gear, game day attendance and even ownership.

NFL Fans in the stands aren’t the only ones who enthusiastically cheer for their teams. Music icons Blake Shelton and Jordin Sparks both sing the praises of the Arizona Cardinals on Sundays. Born and raised in Philadelphia, rapper-turned-actor Will Smith and singer John Legend root for the Philadelphia Eagles even when they are on tour. Country stars Garth Brooks and Toby Keith tune up to wave the Terrible Towel and cheer for the Pittsburgh Steelers each week.

The legendary Rock band Aerosmith enjoyed watching their hometown team, the New England Patriots, win their fourth Super Bowl in Super Bowl XLIX.

Country music star Tim McGraw loves football so much he decided to kick-off the 2009 NFL season by performing before the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans on a Thursday night.

Pepsi and the NFL launched the Pepsi NFL Anthems program in the past, which was a national campaign that featured some of today’s most talented musical artists, iconic NFL teams, and exciting players. The program brought to life originally created anthems by bands and artists such as Aerosmith, Kid Rock, Kelly Clarkson, Ice Cube and Travie McCoy, as well as a remixed version of Wiz Khalifa’s ‘Black and Yellow.’ The anthems were inspired by the artists’ passion for their cities and hometown NFL teams.

“The synergy of music and sports has never been more prevalent, and the effect that music has on sports culture is never more present than in the NFL,” said Todd Kaplan, Director, Pepsi Sports Marketing. “The Pepsi NFL Anthems program will help bring the NFL’s passionate fan base closer to their teams through an authentic musical experience – whether it’s listening to the anthem on your way to the game, or hearing it blast throughout the stadium after a big play.”